There are coups to prevent the deterioration of summer bento

Refueling yourself with a nutritious lunch is an affordable and happy choice for 9-to-5 office workers

Reduce the chance of food going bad

Compared with ordering takeout, bringing your own bento to the workplace for lunch can not only choose fresh and high-quality ingredients as you like, but also better control the nutritional mix and the content of oil and salt

Fan Zhihong, a professor at the School of Food and Nutritional Engineering at China Agricultural University, introduced that appropriate cooking methods should be used to minimize the growth of bacteria

One is to make more sour dishes, because the more sour, the slower the reproduction of bacteria

The second is to choose dishes that are suitable for multiple heating, such as potatoes, carrots, beans, eggplants, tomatoes, winter melons, pumpkins, radishes, mushrooms, kelp, fungus,

The third is to carry less ready-made cold dishes to avoid nitrite and bacteria

Fourth, take a separate lunch box to store and carry raw foods, such as raw tomatoes, raw cucumbers, lettuce, etc.

According to the above method, as long as you go to the unit with 3 boxes, including rice, hot dishes, and raw vegetables or fruits, you can basically meet the nutritional needs of the human body

Restrict microbial reproduction

To deal with unfavorable factors such as high temperature, long distances, and long-term placement, in the final analysis, it is still necessary to restrict the reproduction of microorganisms

Microorganisms are ubiquitous and pervasive.

Microorganisms are afraid of hypertonic conditions, so adding more salt and sugar, soaking in honey can inhibit corruption; microorganisms are afraid of dryness, a lot of alcohol, and an environment that is too acidic, so removing water, soaking in wine and vinegar is also killing Effective methods for microorganisms

However, it is obviously unrealistic to use these methods for the preservation of bento.

Fan Zhihong explained that this principle can also be used for bringing rice, but two or three heat-resistant and airtight lunch boxes are needed, and the size should be appropriate.

　　The first step is to scald the inside and outside of the cleaned lunch box with boiling water to kill bacteria as much as possible

　　The second step is to put the rice that has just come out of the pot, and then immediately seal the lunch box, the temperature drops to a level that is not hot, and then put it in the refrigerator immediately

　　The third step is to take out the lunch box.

　　The fourth step, use a spoon handle to pry lightly at the seam of the box cover to let the air in, release the negative pressure, and you can open it
.
You can also open the lock of the box, microwave the lunch box for a minute or two, and the air inside becomes warm, and it will open naturally
.

　　Hot dishes can also be handled in the same way
.
Use a special box or bottle, scald it with boiling water, put the hot dishes just out of the pot, then cover it tightly, and put it in the refrigerator immediately after it cools a little
.

Homemade ice packs simulate the whole cold chain

　　The refrigerator is a good helper for storing food in summer.
The refrigerator is to reduce the storage temperature of food, thereby reducing the reproduction speed of microorganisms and prolonging the shelf life of food
.
However, there are no refrigeration conditions on the way to work, and most people's offices will not be equipped with refrigerators.
It seems that it is not easy to use the conditions of the whole cold chain to ensure the safety of bringing meals
.

　　Fan Zhihong believes that it is not difficult to simulate the conditions of the whole cold chain
.
You can put the meal in an insulated bag and add a few frozen ice packs to keep the temperature cold for a few hours
.
Even if the commute to work is hot and the unit does not have a refrigerator, it can effectively reduce the rate of bacterial growth for a few hours
.

　　Another method is to use frozen rice as an ice pack
.
It may sound a little unbelievable, but it is actually simple, safe and scientifically justified
.
The method is to make the rice the night before and put it directly in the freezer.
It can be used as ice cubes when it freezes hard the next day.
After getting the unit, let it melt and heat it in the morning
.
Because the frozen lunch box is sealed, there is generally no need to worry that microorganisms will take the opportunity to mess up during the thawing process
.

　　With the help of ice packs, coolers, and refrigerators, there are far fewer strict restrictions on the variety of foods and cooking methods you bring with you
.
Of course, it should be reminded that even if there are various low temperature and sterilization measures, in order to prevent the pathogenic bacteria that are resistant to low temperature, it is best to use a microwave oven or steamer to heat and sterilize it once before eating
.
Although it is inevitable that there will be a certain amount of nutrient loss when heating, but after all, food safety is the first, so don't try to save trouble when it is time to heat
.

　　In addition, some insulated lunch boxes can be kept above 60°C for a long time, but the loss of vitamins will be great, and the flavor and taste of many ingredients will be changed due to heating for several hours, so it is not recommended to use such lunch boxes to bring rice for a long time.

.

(Li Jian)

　　"China Food News" (July 14, 2022 Edition 06)

　　(Editor-in-charge: Zhu Meiqiao)